Dan + Shay singer Dan Smyers lives in East Nashville with his wife, Abby, and he turned to social media in the wake of the deadly tornado that swept through the area on Tuesday morning (March 3), vowing to help his neighbors recover.

The duo kicked off their much anticipated Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour on Friday (March 6) with back to back sold-out shows at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and while they've been immersed in preparations, Smyers says his thoughts have remained with his neighbors in the ravaged community, which was hit especially hard.

“East Nashville has been our home for the last 7 years, and it will forever hold the most special place in our hearts,” Smyers wrote on his Instagram page just one day after the tornado tore through the state of Tennessee, killing at least 24 people. “I struggled to process the fact that lives were lost, and many of the places that Abby Smyers and I frequented, no longer existed. I distracted myself deep in a 16-hour tour rehearsal, pretending like nothing was wrong, but today it became real, and knew we needed to help.”

The very first place the couple went was to the first house they had called home in East Nashville.

See the Damage From the 2020 Nashville Tornado

“(I) could barely keep it together, as we pulled up and saw the damage,” Smyers reflected. “As bad as the damage was, it paled in comparison to our neighbors, who had lost everything. People, of all kinds, selflessly gathered in each yard, banding together with complete strangers, to help. But as painful as it was to see the destruction in person, we saw the light of humanity shine through."

It’s that humanity that will ultimately allow the residents of East Nashville not only to rebuild, but eventually heal. According to a press release, Dan + Shay have announced a $100,000 donation to go directly to relief efforts.